


Aftermath

by ToBeLonely



Category: Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Dr. STONE Manga Spoilers, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post Dr. STONE Chapter 188, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29965017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToBeLonely/pseuds/ToBeLonely
Summary: The aftermath of the battle with Stanley's group in Araxá.(for those still upset about the events of chapter 188)
Relationships: Kingdom of Science friendships
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Aftermath

_ Please say it worked. _

_ Please, please, please, please, please... _

Senku was struggling to keep up, but he refused to stop running. Suika was leading the way, rolling away between the roots and the bushes at an unlikely speed. Taiju ran just behind her, followed closely by Ryusui and Ukyo. The latter sometimes turned to make sure that Senku, but also François and Gen who were just a couple step ahead of the scientist, didn't get left behind, but seemed reluctant to slow down anyway.

Senku couldn't blame him. Ukyo had heard everything.

Running wouldn't make a difference ; they all knew it. Either the petrification had happened and there was still a chance, or it hadn't. Either breaking it would be enough to bring their friends back to life, or it wouldn't.

They had been dead when the light hit. Only question was...

Had they still been close enough to life for them to be saved?

Senku's heart was pounding against his chest. Heavy pants left his lips, as his lungs struggled to provide him the necessary oxygen to keep going. He tried to focus on anything but his aching legs. 

Running wouldn't change anything. And yet.

And yet.

None of them could stop.

* * *

They had barely made it.

The science team had worked all night long, only taking brief breaks as exhaustion threatened to cause unforgivable mistakes. The others hadn't really slept either; taking turn keeping watch, too tense to sleep, reeling from the day's events and anxious about the coming battle.

Ukyo hadn't even needed to tell them what had happened. The look on his face when he'd come back from the quiet corner he'd exiled himself to was enough.

"They destroyed their transceiver." This was all the archer had been able to force himself to say.

There had been no time to grieve.

Senku had forced a smirk on his face.

"So we have the advantage."

The next dawn, Stanley's forces had attacked. After a short and heated negotiating attempt which unsurprisingly didn't yield any results, Ukyo's arrows sinking in the ennemies' limbs as Taiju held a carbon shield above their heads had kept the soldiers back just long enough to give Chrome the time to run the 5 kilometer distance they needed him to cross. Max, whose gaze pointed north through their telescope, had called out the signal just in time.

They might not have had another minute.

When Senku came back to life (3,162 seconds later), he barely registered Chrome's comment about his lack of cracks.

They had friends to save.

As soon as they were all awake, they left Kaseki, Max, Carlos, Luna and Chelsea at the base while Ukyo directed them to the four hostages. Chrome took Ginro and Matsukase back to the others - they needed fighters there, just in case. Max could only do so much alone.

Which led them to their current situation.

The noise they were making would have given away their position, but there wasn't anyone to keep it from anymore. At least it might have had the benefits of scaring predators away.

"Here!"

His gaze narrowing on the people ahead of him, Senku noticed Suika and Taiju had stopped running. Quickly though, the two walked out of his sight, followed by Ukyo and Ryusui. When Senku reached the place where Suika had cried out he came to a stop next to the mentalist, barely managing to stay on his trembling limbs as he heaved.

It wasn't a clearing per say, but the fallen tree and stamped on brushes had left a wide open area. The traces of a battle couldn't have been more clear.

There were three unmoving human shapes lying there.

Shapes made of stone.

If Senku left out a soft, high-pitched noise as a took a relieved breath, none seemed to notice.

They could still be dead. None of them really know how the petrification worked, they didn't know if it could affect people too gone to be brought back. Their friends could still be dead, but, but...

They had turned to stone. So there was still a chance they could be saved.

There was still hope.

Gen stepped into the open area, breaking his companions out of their thoughts. Senku was quick to follow him.

"François and Taiju went to get the supplies they had to leave behind." Ryusui volunteered from where he had crouched between Tsukasa's and Kohaku's statued.

Senku nodded. He had known, but there was no need to voice that fact.

As they waited, Gen went to lay a hand on Suika's shoulder as he sat down next to the girl kneeling by Kohaku's side. Senku felt like hitting himself for how long it took him to remember to verify that yes, they were wearing rubber boots and had applied repellent before coming here, so they shouldn't be in danger despite their low positions. Couldn't hurt to keep an eye out though. Although from Ukyo's alert demeanour and fixed gaze on their companions, it was possible the young man was already keeping an ear out.

Senku moved to the bag Taiju had left resting against Hyoga right by the archer's feet. Conscious of his friends' eyes on him, he pulled out the fabric they had brought, the one Chelsea had used for her kites, and put it down on some rocks before taking out a small handsaw and setting out to find suitable branches for the stretchers they had to make. Ryusui and Gen followed him, while Ukyo stayed behind to keep an eye on Suika as he listened for any potential danger.

François and Taiju were back by the time they had finally found 4 branches, and all of them quickly finished setting up the stretchers.

After that, still in silence, they hauled Hyoga and Kohaku on the stretchers which Ryusui, François, Gen and Senku set out to carry, while Taiju took Tsukasa over his shoulder, managing to find a balance with the bags on his back. With Suika taking lead and Ukyo following her, an arrow notched on his bow, the group started the trail back to their base.

* * *

They were welcomed back to the fort in silence. In a corner, Senku noticed, the others had gathered the statues of their enemies, and left their weapons in a pile.

There was so much to deal with. But it could wait for now.

The three warriors were put down in the middle of their stronghold, on makeshift mattresses that had been crafted during their short absence ; just piles of leaves covered by sheets. As everyone took a step back after finishing that task, Chrome came back from their temporary laboratory with a vial. Wordlessly, he handed it out to Senku.

This was it. The moment of truth.

A blank, unemotional look on his face, trying to hide the distress and fear his eyes couldn't help but reflect, the barely 19 year-old leader of the Kingdom of Science crouched down by Kohaku's side. Wordlessly, he opened the vial and tipped it over.

Immediately the spot where the liquid had hit turned back to skin, and in a fraction of a second the stone left place to flesh.

All of them held their breath. Just a second. 

Before Senku could even think to look for a pulse, bright blue eyes opened.

Alive.

The strained tension surrounding them instantly turned to relief. Chelsea let out a cheerful shout as Chrome and Suika immediately jumped to embrace their friend.

"Kohaku! You're okay!"

"Kohaku!"

"I..." Kohaku started, letting her arms fall by her side as she stared at the sky. 

The girl didn't have time to finish her thought before being tackled into a hug. She stilled, frightened by the sudden attack before realization hit her. A thousand contradictory emotions hit her all at once, too overwhelming to properly register, and left without the ability to contain herself, the fighter promptly burst into tears as she hugged her friends back, hiding her face in their shoulders. 

Around them, the many of the others were crying of relief as well, all of them itching to get closer but unwilling to overwhelm Kohaku. 

Senku felt a hand gently touching his back, and turned to see Gen giving him a smile through teary eyes. Only then did he finally notice his own cheeks were wet.

_ Uh. _

Another hand appeared in his field of vision. Senku took it and let Ukyo pull him to his feet. The young man didn't let go of his hand once he was up, but Senku didn't try to get his hand back. He let the contact ground him. 

Try to breath. In... And out... In... And out...

Once his breathing was back under control, he let go of Ukyo, sharing a quick glance with his friend. There wasn't time to linger though and Senku turned his focus back to the situation.

Right. One down, two to go.

Picking the vial back up, Senku went to Tsukasa, followed by most of his companions, all of whom had mostly calmed down as well. Suika and François stayed by Kohaku's side as they gently tried to get her to drink and eat something before they let her get some rest.

Before Senku could verse the liquid on Tsukasa's prone form, a small hand wrapped itself over his and the vial.

"I wanna try! Can I, can I?"

Chelsea's enthusiasm took the scientist by surprise.

"Er, sure." He agreed as he let her take the vial.

An excited smile on her face, eyes wide and bouncing on her feet, the geographer turned to the statue. The others didn't entirely share her optimism though, unwilling to be too hopeful, and they held their breath once again as the powerful man was turned back into a person.

Their worry was for nought, thankfully. Tsukasa took a deep breath before opening his eyes. He blinked. 

"Welcome back."

A smile graced the warrior's face as the familiar voice registered. The young man sat up and his gaze met Senku's smirk.

"Glad to be back." He answered simply. 

"Yeay!, cheered Chelsea, and now Hyoga too!"

No one had noticed the young woman skipping to the last statue and by the time they had turned in her direction the last drops of the revival fluid in the vial were hitting the statue.

"Welcome back Hyoga!" Chelsea said in a sing-song voice.

Which was why the first sound the man made was a pained and exaggerated groan.

Ryusui's laugh rang out loud.

Senku felt a smile form on his lips.

"Now!" Ryusui declared once his laughter had subdued. "We have managed a complete victory! I desire... A party!"

Cheers were heard at this proposition. Gen turned to Senku with a smirk.

"So Senku-chan. What do you think about a party?"

Senku affected a false serious facade and tilted his head as his little finger went to his ear, and he seemed to contemplate the idea. After a couple seconds letting his friends grow impatient for his response, a grin finally broke out.

"Alright. I guess we're throwing a party."

* * *

(In reality, they spent the day sleeping and recovering from the madness that these last 24 hours and more generally these last few weeks had been. In the evening though, a party was thrown.

They could take a day off saving the world. What had waited 3719 years could wait for an extra 24 hours. They'd go back to work the next day, promise.) 


End file.
